NATO jets escorted Russian fighters out of Estonian airspace, says alliance chief

LONDON

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday that alliance aircraft escorted three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets out of Estonian airspace last week, after the suspected incursion triggered emergency consultations under the alliance’s founding treaty.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Tuesday, Rutte said: "What I'm seeing is that our military system works like this, that we will always assess the dangers, whether it is a direct threat to our overall defense, our posture and that we will always act accordingly. But in this case, there was no immediate threat assessed. So what happened is that Swedish, Finnish and Italian aircraft were active to make sure that these three MiGs were moved out of Estonian airspace."

The incident on Friday, which Tallinn says lasted 12 minutes, was the latest in a string of suspected airspace violations by Russia.

Poland said its forces shot down Russian drones that entered its territory on Sept. 10 – the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

At Estonia’s request, the alliance invoked Article 4 of the treaty, which allows any member to call consultations when its security is under threat.

Following the meeting, NATO allies issued what Rutte described as "a strong statement of solidarity and resolve."

"They condemned Russia’s reckless actions, which are escalatory, risk miscalculation and endanger lives. Allies affirmed yet again that our shared commitment to collective defense is unshakeable," he said.

The NATO chief added that the alliance remained ready to deter and respond. "We do not want to see a continuation of this dangerous pattern by Russia – intentional or not. But we stand ready and willing to continue to defend every inch of allied territory."

He also pointed to wider military activity, including the ongoing deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, in European waters.

He said the long-planned exercise underscored NATO’s ability “to operate together across domains and over distances.”